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 Infirmary |
A Virtual Stroll Around the Walls of Chester 16. The Watertower |
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ere
before
us
on
the
north
west
corner
of
Chester's
city
walls,
we
see
the
venerable
sandstone
angle
tower
known
by
the
curious
name
of
Bonewaldesthorne's
Tower,
after,
it
is
said,
an
officer
in
the
army
of
Aethelflaed,
daughter
of
Alfred
the
Great,
who
expelled
an
army
of
occupying
Danes
from
the
fortress
in
the
early
10th
century.
Around
thirty
years
later,
in
1875,
the
Manchester,
Sheffield
and
Lincoln
Company
constructed
a new
line
running
from
Manchester
via
Altringham,
Northwich
and
Delamere
to
the
new
Northgate
Station
in
Chester.
In
1890,
the
line
was
extended
to
Shotton,
with
new
stations
at
Blacon
and
Saughall,
and
included
a stretch
which
allowed
trains
from
Manchester
to
bypass
Northgate
station.
This
in
turn
connected
with
others,
allowing
access
to
Hawarden
and
Wrexham,
or
to
Bidston
and
from
there
to
the
popular
resort
of
New
Brighton,
or
to
Birkenhead
and
on
to
Liverpool.Passing
right
through
Bonewaldesthorne's
Tower (in the unlikely event that it's open)
one
descends
some
worn
stone
steps
and
enters
upon
a spur
wall,
100
feet
long
and
11
feet
wide,
that
connects
the
city
walls
proper
with
the
Watertower
or
New
Tower,
as
it
was
once
also
known.
At 11 feet wide, this is approximately twice as thick as the city wall, and the lowest part is 24 feet above the present ground. The
battlements,
much
reduced
in
height
today,
were
added
in
the
1640s
when,
during
the
Civil
War
Siege
of
Chester,
this
section
of
wall
was
continuously
pounded
by
guns
and
grenados
(mortars)
situated
on
high
ground
across
the
river,
and
especially
from
a place
called
Brewer's
Hall
Farm,
which
you
can
see
on
this
old
map.
There is a substantial arch through the wall at ground level, and over this there is a small room from which a portcullis may have been raised and lowered.
At
the
top
of
the
steps
is
a sculpted
stone
niche
within
which
formerly
stood
a statue
of
Queen
Anne-
transferred
here
from
the
old
Exchange
in
Northgate
Street
after
this
was
destroyed
by
fire
in
1862.
The
statue
itself
mysteriously
disappeared
sometime
during
the
1960s.
River Defences
The
contract
for
the
Watertower's
construction
has
remarkably
survived
and
tells
us
that,
in
the
16th
year
of
the
reign
of
Edward
II,
1322,
the
aptly-named
mason,
John
de
Helpeston
was
paid
£100
(somewhere
around
£250,000
today)
to
build
a
fortified
tower
standing
in
the
River
Dee
west
of
the
existing
fortifications,
together
with
a
connecting
spur
wall.
You
will
recall
from
when
we
visited
the
Watergate
that
the
river
formerly
flowed
close
by
the
city
walls
and
that
an
important
commercial
and
military
port
thrived
beneath
them.
Until
the
start
of
the
14th
century,
the
existing
structure
of
the
ancient
walls
and
towers
proved
adequate
to
the
port's
defence,
but,
as
the
silting
of
the
Dee
estuary
started
to
badly
affect
the
depth
of
water
available
to
shipping,
it
was
deemed
necessary
to
extend
the
defences
further
out
into
the
river,
and
as
a
result,
this New
Tower
was
commissioned.
The contract between him and the city makes it clear that Bonewaldesthorne's Tower (Turrus de Benewaldestham), through which the Water Tower is reached, was already in existence.
John
the
mason
did
his
work
well.
The
Watertower
stands
proudly
today
much
as
it
did
when
it
really
was
the
'New
Tower',
seven
centuries
ago.
It
is
about
75
feet
high
and
its
walls
are
12
feet
thick.
The
lower
chamber
is
a
vaulted
octagon
with
moulded
ribs
rising
from
the
angles
of
the
walls,
with
an
arrow-slit
opening
from
each
recess.
The upper room has only four windows, and that to the right of the entrance is presumably a replacement of the original. The position of the fireplace can still be seen in the west wall. This
upper
chamber-
also
octagonal-
is
reached
via
a
spiral
staircase. To the right of the entrance there was a small latrine. A winding stair to the left leads to the upper room and roof.
The roof parapet still retains much of its crenellations, and overlooking the tower entrance and spur wall there is a raised platform which was originally gained by a continuation of the stair.
Try, as you stand in this peaceful spot,
to
imagine
the
scene
as
early
illustrations
show
it:
of
armed
men
looking
down
to
where
the
Watertower
stood
solidly
in
mid-river
with
wooden sailing ships
moored
to
its
base
and
a
bustle
of
soldiers,
mariners
and
merchants
going
about
their
business
all
around...
Majestic and gay were the vessels adorning
Thy banks, lovely Dee! as I wandered along;
Where I loved to inhale the pure breath of the morning,
And listen with glee to the mariner's song.
How proudly I gaz'd on thy port that was crowded
With barks that were freighted from India's shore;
Nor thought of the time when thy hopes would be clouded,
And commerce and industry bless thee no more!
Opposite
Bonewaldesthorne's
Tower
there
is
a
gateway
giving
access
to
some
steps
that
take
you
down
to
the
attractive
Water
Tower
Gardens,
a
pleasant
little
park,
complete
with
tennis
courts
and
a
popular
bowling
green.
This
area
was
formerly
known
as
the
Tower
Field and
in
1836
Hemingway
wrote
that
it
had "recently
been
rented
by
the
guardians
of
the
poor
by
the
cultivation
of
which,
by
spade
husbandry,
able-bodied
paupers
were
very
properly
and
advantagiously
employed".
During the Spring and Summer of 2002, the Water Tower Gardens underwent a major facelift- based upon the suggestions of local people and costing around £200,000. Included was the construction of a remarkable two-dimensional maze (one without high surrounding hedges) which consists of coloured paths- the Jubilee colours of red, white and blue- that may be followed, hopefully, to reach the centre. The curves of the maze are said to symbolise the waters of the River Dee, which in medieval times flowed where these gardens now stand. Its designer, Adrian Fisher, explained that "visitors start by choosing one of the three coloured brick strips. Once they start, they they must keep going forwards and not take sharp turns. As they reach each junction square, they are given choices, with two or three directions to choose".
Mr Fisher has created more than 200 mazes in 17 countries and has set four Guinness world records.
In addition, a fine new community pavilion was opened in the Water Tower Gardens in June 2004.
Looking beyond the park, a very great deal of redevelopment is currently going
on, part of the regeneration of the so-called Old
Port area of the city- which actually dates from the 1730s when the silted-up
river was canalised, new quays and shipyards were established to replace their
land-locked medieval predecessors and New Crane Street was built to link the new
wharves to the city.
In
the
midst
stands
the
handsome
Victorian
Electric
Lighting
Company
Building,
Chester's
first
electric
generating
station,
which
was
built
by
an
enlightened
city
council
in
1896.
It
was,
despite
great
public
opposition,
recently
due
to
be
demolished
to
make
way
for
three
speculative
office
blocks,
a plan
which
was
abandoned
only due
to
a lack
of
prospective
tenants.
A new
housing
scheme
was
then
announced
for
the
site,
but
the
future
of
the
building
remained
uncertain
for
months
until
the
developers,
in
the
face
of
continuing
and
determined
opposition,
agreed
to
incorporate
its
facade
into
their
plans. Read more about it here.
Descending
the
steps
and
entering
the
Watertower
Gardens,
one
may
inspect
the
weathered
base
of
the
old tower
and
its
spur
wall
in
detail.
On
one
side
you
will
see
a
weathered plaque,
erected
in
1730
recording
repairs
carried
out
in
that
year,
during
the
mayorality
of
John
Pemberton-
whom
we
shall
meet
again
in
due
course.
Notice
also
the
two
arches
under
the
wall,
beneath
which
small
craft
were
once
able
to
sail-
remember
that
all
this
area
was
once
under
water,
and
that
many
feet
of
these
structures
now
lie
buried
beneath
the
former
mud
of
the
river
bed.
It
was
recorded
that
iron
rings
to
which
ships
moored
were
once
visible
on
the
lower
section
of
the
Watertower,
for
example
by
Fuller,
who
in
concluding
his
Worthies of
1662,
vainly
wished, "that
the
distance
between
Dee
and
the
new
tower
may
be
made
up,
all
obstructions
being
removed,
which
cause
or
occasion
the
same;
that
the
rings
on
the
New
Tower
(now
only
for
sight)
may
be
restored
to
the
service
for
which
they 
were
first
intended,
to
fasten
vessels
thereunto;
that
vessels
on
that
river,
(lately
degenerated
from
ships
into
barks)
may
grow
up
again
to
their
former
state
and
stature".
A
19th
century
view
of
Telford's
Warehouse on
Tower
Wharf,
next
to
which
is
the
Ellsmere
Canal
Tavern
which
supplied
refreshment
and
accomodation
to
the
many
people
who
travelled
by
canal
boat
from
Tower
Wharf
to
the
Mersey
at
Ellsmere
Port and
thence
by
ferry
to
Liverpool.
Today,
it
is
the
regional
HQ
of
British
Waterways.
The
international
trade
of
Chester's
port
was
no
doubt
a
contributing
factor
in
the
frequent
outbreaks
of
Bubonic
Plague
in
the
city.
During
a
severe
attack
following
the
end
of
the
Civil
War,
cabins
were
erected
under
the
Watertower
and
in
a
nearby,
now-vanished,
quarry
and
saltmarshes
to
accomodate
the
afflicted,
in
an
attempt
to
prevent
the
disease
from
spreading.
Part
of
the
great
charm
of
the
Watertower
today
derives
from
the
apparent
lack
of
'improvement'
it
has
undergone-
throughout
the
town,
ancient
structures
have
been
rebuilt-
not
always
necessarily-
or
unsympathetically
'restored',
removing
almost
all
trace
of
their
venerable
origins.
Not
so
here-
when
one
surveys
the
view
at
this
corner
of
the
walls,
despite
the
building
work
in
the
background
and
the
trains
running
beneath,
it
is
easy
to
evoke
the
colourful
and
violent
events
that
have
taken
place
here
throughout
the
centuries.
Recently
the
Watertower-
which
houses
a
most
interesting
little
museum
dedicated
to
the
medieval
port-
underwent
a
programme
of
renovation,
but
for
the
present
sadly
remains
closed
to
visitors,
due,
apparently
to
'funding
shortages'.
I
am
sorry
to
report
that
the
same
lame excuse
is
given
for
the
current
closure
of
the Phoenix
Tower on
the
north
east
corner
of
the
walls.
As
we
turn
the
corner
and
pass
over
the
railway,
the
flight
of
steps
on
our
left
leads
us
down
to Tower
Road.
Remarkably,
the
landscaped
area
immediately
below
was
once
occupied
by
public
swimming
baths
and
wash-houses,
established
here
in
1849
and
surviving
until
1892.
In
1882
they
were
supplemented
by
a floating baths
on
the River
Dee-
best
remembered
for
the
occasion
when
it
broke
its
moorings,
drifted
downstream
and
got
stuck
on
the
weir!
No
trace
of
either
establishment
survives
today,
but
modern
swimmers
are
well
catered
for
at
the City
Baths on
Union
Street
or
the
much
larger
Northgate
Arena.
Now
go
on
to
explore
another
fascinating
part
of
Chester- Tower
Wharf ...
Curiousities from Chester's History no. 25
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